Abdul Salam Arif

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Abdul Salam Arif
عبد السلام عارف
Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz
Preceded byMuhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i
Succeeded byAbdul Rahman Arif
Personal details
Born(1921-03-21)21 March 1921
July 14 Revolution

ʿAbd al-Salam Mohammed ʿArif al-Jumayli (

Hashemite monarchy
was overthrown on 14 July 1958.

1958 coup and conflict with Qasim

Along with

Hashemite monarchy. Qasim formed a government under the newly proclaimed republic and Arif, his chief aide, was appointed deputy prime minister, interior minister, and deputy commander-in-chief of the armed forces.[2]

Almost immediately however, tensions rose between the

pan-Arabist Arif and Iraqi nationalist Qasim who also had the support of the Iraqi Communist Party. The former supported a union with the United Arab Republic (UAR)—composed of Egypt and Syria—under president Gamal Abdel Nasser, but the latter opposed merging with the UAR. As a result, the two leaders engaged in a power struggle, ending in Qasim prevailing and the removal of Arif from his positions on 12 September. He was appointed the low-ranking post of ambassador to Bonn. Arif refused to take up the post and upon returning to Baghdad on 4 November, he was promptly arrested for plotting against the state. He was sentenced to death along with Rashid Ali al-Gaylani in February 1959.[2] Qasim had him released in November 1961.[3]

President of Iraq

Arab leaders at the 1964 Arab League summit in Alexandria. From left to right: Hussein of Jordan, Gamal Abdel Nasser, Arif, Habib Bourguiba and Hassan II of Morocco

Qur'an that it was he, Arif, who had been the real leader of the 1958 coup. Qasim refused and was consequently executed.[4]

Although he was chosen as president, more power was held by the Ba'athist secretary general

Nasserist army officers and technocrats. He maintained his presidency and appointed himself chief-of-staff. A month later he handed the latter post to his brother General Abdul Rahman Arif, and the premiership to his confidant Lieutenant-General Tahir Yahya.[5] In the fall of 1964, the Ba'ath attempted to depose Arif, but failed when their plot was unveiled. Arif had the conspirators, including Saddam Hussein, arrested.[6]

On 26 May 1964, Arif established the Joint Presidency Council with Egypt. On 14 July the anniversary of the revolution, he declared the establishment of the Arab Socialist Union (ASU) of Iraq, commending it as the "threshold of the building of the unity of the Arab nation under Arab socialism." It was nearly identical in structure the ASU of Egypt and like in Egypt, many of the Arab nationalist parties were dissolved and absorbed by the ASU.[5] Also, all banks and over thirty major Iraqi businesses were nationalized. Arif undertook these measures in an effort to bring Iraq closer with Egypt to help foster unity and on 20 December plans for union were announced. Despite this, in July 1965, the Nasserist ministers resigned from the Iraqi cabinet.[7] President Arif played a major role in Iraq construction and developing its infrastructure.[8]

Death

On 13 April 1966, Arif was killed in the crash of

Basra Airport, and was replaced as president by his brother Abdul Rahman.[7][9] Reports at the time said Arif had died in a helicopter accident. Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz became acting president for three days, and a power struggle for the presidency occurred. In the first meeting of the Defense Council and cabinet to elect a president, Al-Bazzaz needed a two-thirds majority to win the presidency. Al-Bazzaz was unsuccessful, and Abdul Rahman Arif was elected president. He was viewed by army officers as weaker and easier to manipulate than his brother.[10]

Family

On 13 December 2004, Arif's daughter, Sana Abdul Salam, and her husband, Wamith Abdul Razzak Said Alkadiry, were shot dead in their home in Baghdad by unknown assailants. Rafal Alkadiry, their 22-year-old son, was kidnapped,[11] and later killed.

References

  1. ISBN 9780415400787
    . Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b Ismael, Ismael, and Abu Jaber, 1991, pp. 158–159.
  3. ^ a b c Ismael, Ismael, and Abu Jaber, 1991, p.163.
  4. ^ Ajami, 2006, pp. 185–186.
  5. ^ a b Ismael, Ismael, and Abu Jaber, 1991, pp. 164–165.
  6. ^ Reich, 1990, p. 241.
  7. ^ a b Ismael, Ismael, and Abu Jaber, 1991, p. 166.
  8. ISBN 978-0-5215-2900-6
    .
  9. ^ Harro Ranter. "incident". aviation-safety.net.
  10. ISBN 978-0-5215-2900-6
    .
  11. ^ Iraqi voter registration site attacked CNN. 18 December 2004

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Abd as-Salam Arif.
Political offices
Preceded by President of Iraq
February 8, 1963 – April 13, 1966 		Succeeded by
Abd ar-Rahman al-Bazzaz
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